Asher Roth: Asleep in the Bread Aisle, CD Review
I Love College, Lark On My Go Kart, Be By Myself, As I Em
Jul 7, 2009
Can a white kid from the suburbs of Philadelphia who likes his parents, has never lived in a trailer, and been to College, be a successful hip hop artist?
Well golly gee, Asher Roth thinks so. Sure he looks like he just walked out of a Judd Apatow movie, but give the kid a chance. He might just be one of the freshest things to hit the hip hop world in a long time.
Who is Asher Roth
The Caucasian sensation burst on to the scene with his catchy but irritating anthem "I Love College", an ode to obnoxious frat boys everywhere. For the record, judging by "I Love College", Asher Roth is the guy you hated in school, the douchebag who thought he was the first guy to discover beer and casual sex.
The same guy who suddenly became the class know-it-all on Monday morning. You know the one. He expounded the virtues of social justice (as he does on "Sour Patch Kids") in poli-sci or soc. class (probably while wearing a baseball cap). But somewhere between those two obnoxious guys lies a musician with some serious potential. Asher Roth is a lot more than just "I Love College".
Asleep in the Bread Aisle
Asleep in the Bread Aisle is a surprisingly good album. Maybe not great, but definitely solid, and hopefully indicative of what’s to come in the future. There are great moments on the album with terrific guest spots, such as the tracks "Bad Day" (featuring Jazze Pha) and "Be By Myself" (featuring Cee-Lo of Gnarls Barkley).
But they’re just the icing on an already tasty cake. Sporadically witty lyrics over head-bobbing beats, with drums, bass, guitar, keyboards, and even a tinge of violin play their parts on this album. Asher Roth’s songs are the kind you’ll find yourself bopping your head to, even if when you’re trying your darndest to stop.
Asher Roth and Eminem
The Eminem comparisons are inevitable. The dude sounds exactly like him. Knowing this is the case, Roth addresses them on the track "As I Em". But there’s little chance that anyone will get the two confused. While good ol’ Marshall Mathers has gone to great lengths to let the world know how hard done by he’s been, Asher Roth makes no apologies for being a nice kid from the burbs. He doesn’t try to fake his hip hop cred, and that’s precisely what legitimizes him. He doesn’t fit the mold, and he doesn’t try to.
Asher Roth may not have the same pedigree as other hip hop artists, but if drawing from life experience and “keeping it real” is what rappers are supposed to do, then Roth is doing exactly that. It just so happens that his life experience involves growing up in a stable two-parent house and watching Saved By the Bell.
Asleep in the Bread Aisle isn’t the best hip hop album around, but it is indicative of the potential that exists in this young 20-something musician. Is he the savior of hip hop? Probably not. Is he a talented artist to keep an eye on? Most definitely.
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